“To think that he is not good enough to play the Asian Games, that’s not right” - Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson snub

Aakash Chopra has expressed surprise over the treatment being meted out to keeper-batter Sanju Samson by the selectors. According to Chopra, Samson’s exclusion from India’s Asian Games squad is inexplicable.

Samson, 28, has not been picked in India’s 15-member World Cup squad, with KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan as the two keeper-batter options. Rather surprisingly, though, there is no place for him in the Asian Games squad as well, which is being led by Ruturaj Gaikwad.

During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Chopra opened up on Samson’s exclusion from the World Cup, the upcoming series against Australia as well as the Asian Games squad.

“I am surprised and worried because Sanju Samson is not in the Asian Games team. He was in the Asia Cup [as a reserve], but now he is not in the team for the series against Australia as well. What I feel now is that Ishan Kishan won’t be seen opening. Shubman Gill will open with Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ishan Kishan will play in the middle order and the management will give him enough chances so that he can cement his place there,” he stated.

Chopra added that while Samson’s non-selection for the Australia series is somewhat understandable since he is not part of the World Cup squad, there is no explanation for his Asian Games snub.

“I feel Sanju Samson’s name should be there in the Asian Games squad. Let him play somewhere. He can’t come into the World Cup squad, but to think that he is not good enough to play the Asian Games, that’s not right. He came very close to making the World Cup squad, so he definitely should have been in the Asian Games team. In fact, he could have been the captain as well,” Chopra said.

Jitesh Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh have been picked as the keeper-batters in the Gaikwad-led Asian Games squad.

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Sanju Samson reacts after being ignored for the ODI series against Australia

Following the selectors’ decision to not pick Samson for the one-day series against Australia at home, the keeper-batter reacted to the same through a post on his official Instagram handle.

Sharing a photo of himself from an ODI game, he wrote:

"It is what it is !! I choose to keep moving forward."

Samson has played 13 ODIs for India, scoring 390 runs at an average of 55.71, with three half-centuries.